The safety and security of the law-abiding citizen is a key priority of the coalition government. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their home and in their community. When that safety is threatened, those responsible should face a swift and effective response. People rely on the criminal justice system to deliver that response: punishing offenders, protecting the public, and reducing reoffending.

Scotland is currently engaged in one of the biggest penal reform projects in a generation, seeking to fundamentally change its approach to punishment, which is characterised by high use of imprisonment compared to other parts of Europe, and the use of very short prison sentences. In Scotland around three quarters of prison sentences handed down by the courts are for six months or less. But because short sentences are seen as minimally intrusive compared to long-term or life sentences, there has been, until now, little research on their effects.

Report intended for policy makers interested in prison and sentencing reform. It presents evidence about the situation in Scotland and ideas for future policy development in Scotland. These ideas are based on research presented by academics at a seminar on sentencing reform held 12 December 2008.

Set within the contexts of probation's centenary in Scotland (2005) and the debate about the future of criminal justice social work in Scotland, this article provides a brief account of the history of probation in Scotland, focusing on the rarely discussed period between 1905 and 1968.

Report highlighting the part which sentencing has played in the increase in the prison population in Scotland and identifying factors which may discourage sentencers from using custody and encourage them to make use of alternatives to custodial sentences.

Report discussing how penal policy and sentencing can best contribute to reducing the prison population in Scotland while still maintaining public safety and suggesting some principles which would establish a presumption against the use of imprisonment as a means of punishment.

Document which summarises and assesses the governments proposals regarding 'reasonable chastisement' and goes on to discuss the government's refusal to consult on the abolition of this defence as a prelude to a ban on physical punishment.

This leaflet explains the changes in the law introduced in September 2003. As from that date it became illegal to punish a child by shaking, hitting on the head, or using a belt, cane, slipper or other implement.